TheDC’s Dirty Dozen: 12 SHOCKING police abuse stories of 2013

America’s police force can claim many victims this year: From senior citizens gunned down in their own homes during botched drug raids to non-violent offenders murdered via police neglect for their most basic needs.

The Daily Caller chronicled the worst police abuse stories of 2013, and has learned a few unfortunate lessons: You can be killed by police for possessing trivial amounts of marijuana — or even no drugs at all. If your autistic son tells you he met a new friend at school, that friend could be a narcotics officer trying to trick him into selling drugs. And whatever you do, stay the hell away from New Mexico cops.

Without further adieu, here is TheDC’s Dirty Dozen: The 12 most terrifying, representative police abuse stories of 2013.

12) Father arrested for picking up his kid from school — Parent be warned: If you do not rigorously adhere to the Orwellian pick-up laws at your kids’ elementary schools, you can and will be hauled off to jail. Tennessee father Jim Howe recorded his exchange with a school administrator and safety officer, in which he was told that trying to bring his kids home a little early was “disorderly conduct.”

The officer also threatened to arrest Howe’s girlfriend for recording the incident. If the cops let everybody record them, how would they get away with their bad behavior?

11) Shock video: Police slams inmate’s head against wall, producing bloody smear— Mistreatment of suspects and jail inmates is a sad, recurring police motif. But few were as visceral as this one. Drunk driving suspect James Duckworth was handcuffed and cooperative when officer Charles Broaderick slammed his head into the wall. Duckworth was bleeding and barely conscious as the abuse continued: Broaderick even tried to wrap a plastic bag around the suspect’s head.

Kudos to the Marion County police department for charging Broaderick with assault and bringing a measure of accountability to the situation.